Sports Biz: Jalen Lewis, 16, youngest player to sign pro basketball contract by joining Overtime Elite

[playahaitian]

Jalen Lewis, 16, youngest player to sign pro basketball contract by joining Overtime Elite
Cassandra Negley
·Writer
Fri, July 9, 2021, 11:22 AM·2 min read


Jalen Lewis, a five-star recruit and junior in high school, is signing a contract with the Overtime Elite professional league making him the youngest prospect in the U.S. to ever turn pro, The Athletic's Shams Charania first reported on Friday.
The contract is reportedly a multiyear deal worth more than $1 million. Lewis, 16, is a 6-foot-8, 215-pound center for Bishop O'Dowd High in Oakland, California. He is ranked 12th overall in the Class of 2023 by the 247 Sports Composite ranking and sixth overall by Rivals150 Prospect rankings. ESPN has him at No. 2.

"Jalen is one of the most exciting young talents in the country, and we are humbled that he has chosen Overtime Elite to elevate his professional development on the court and academically, while building his brand internationally," Brandon Williams, OTE executive vice president and head of basketball operations, said in a release via ESPN. "This is a foundational signing for our league and another acknowledgment of the need and desire for our program."

Lewis, born in 2005, had received offers from at least 12 schools including Kentucky, Kansas, Duke, Michigan and UCLA.
What is Overtime Elite?
Overtime Elite, a league backed by sports media company Overtime, promises high school athletes at least $100,000 annually to play in the league and wants to bring in about 30 of the country's best talents. They will also receive health and disability insurance. Those who don't turn professional will have up to $100,000 of college tuition covered. The league was announced in March.
The one major drawback is players who sign with the league "forfeit their ability to play high school or college basketball," per the report in the New York Times.
Overtime Elite plans to start in September with Kevin Ollie, the former UConn men's coach, serving as the head coach and head of player development. The league has already started signing top high school talent in recent months. It has 10 players signed to contracts. They will play against prep schools and teams abroad.

Top prospects sign with new league
Matt and Ryan Bewley, twin brothers and both five-star juniors, signed two-year deals with the league in May. The deals were each worth $500,000 per year and made them the first prep underclassmen to sign contracts with an American basketball league.
Brothers Auser and Amen Thompson also signed two-year deals days later. It gives the Overtime Elite league three top prospects from the 2023 high school class as well as top international prospects in Jean Montero, Alexandre Sarr and Nathan Missia-Dio.

 

[playahaitian]

Five-star Jalen Lewis, 16, signing with Overtime Elite: Sources
By Shams Charania
39 Comments

High school junior Jalen Lewis — a five-star basketball recruit — is signing a contract with the new Overtime Elite professional league, sources tell The Athletic. His multiyear deal is worth more than $1 million, sources said.

Lewis, 16 and born in 2005, is the youngest prospect ever to turn pro in America. The 6-foot-8, 215-pound center from Oakland, Calif., (Bishop O'Dowd High) is 12th in the Class of 2023 in the 247Sports Composite Rating. Kentucky, Duke and UCLA were among the schools recruiting Lewis, sources said.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for Jalen and his family. The Overtime Elite Professional League provides another pathway for top prospects," said Aaron Goodwin, a prominent agent and advisor to the Lewis family. "OTE presents young athletes with a true partnership and the opportunity to immediately benefit from the business side of the game."

Overtime Elite has continued to attract top talent, signing a pair of highly ranked twin brothers: Matt and Ryan Bewley and Auser and Amen Thompson. This gives OTE three top prospects for the 2023 high school class. OTE has also signed top international prospects, including Jean Montero, Alexandre Sarr and Nathan Missia-Dio.

Overtime Elite is planning to start in September with former Connecticut coach Kevin Ollie serving as head coach.

Five-star Jalen Lewis, 16, signing with Overtime Elite: Sources

Lewis is the youngest prospect ever to turn pro in America. Lewis, 16, was born in 2005.

theathletic.com

 

[playahaitian]

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[playahaitian]

Lewis becomes OTE's top high school pickup

Class of 2023 recruit Jalen Lewis is signing with Overtime Elite. As the No. 2 prospect in his class, Lewis is the highest-ranked recruit to sign with the upstart league.

www.espn.com

Jalen Lewis becomes highest-ranked basketball recruit to join Overtime Elite

Jalen Lewis, the No. 2 basketball prospect in ESPN's Class of 2023, is signing with Overtime Elite.
Lewis is the highest-ranked recruit to sign with the upstart league and is considered the top big man in the rising junior class. Lewis spurning recruiting interest from schools such as Kentucky, Duke, UCLA and Michigan.

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He played at Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland, California, and was among a group of elite prospects invited to try out for USA Basketball in June, where he measured over 6-foot-10 in shoes with a 7-foot wingspan.

"Jalen is one of the most exciting young talents in the country, and we are humbled that he has chosen Overtime Elite to elevate his professional development on the court and academically, while building his brand internationally," Brandon Williams, OTE executive vice president and head of basketball operations, said in a release. "This is a foundational signing for our league and another acknowledgment of the need and desire for our program."
Said OTE coach and director of player development Kevin Ollie: "I'd describe Jalen as an absolute difference maker, a rare talent, with a combination of size, athleticism, good hands and ball skills that impact plays on both ends of the court. There are no limitations to what he'll be able to do in his career and through Overtime Elite, he'll have the resources in place to help him reach his dreams."
Jalen Lewis signed with Overtime Elite over college interest from schools like Kentucky, Duke, UCLA and Michigan. David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images
Overtime Elite has raised significant capital in its push to become a real alternative for elite high school and international prospects to use as a training program, and Lewis' signing is another indication of the traction the league has gained in grass-roots circles in the United States and internationally. The league previously announced the signings of five-star prospects Amen and Ausar Thompson in the Class of 2022 and Matthew and Ryan Bewley in the Class of 2023, as well as projected 2022 top-20 draft pick Jean Montero from Spain.
The league now has 10 players under contract and is on its way to fielding a highly competitive team to play against prep schools in the United States and teams abroad.

 

[Entrepronegro]

I hope he made the right decision.

 

[easy_b]

Interesting

 

[trstar]

I hope the money is nice.
i hope his development path is strong.

Well the immediate money is good.

 

[durham]

100K for two years, with college level coaches, in the words of the BBB "Never Lost"

Levar had it correct, too bad he didn't run shit quietly and correctly. Props to him.

 

[deputy dawg]